System and method for generating a community contribution index

ABSTRACT

A system and method for generating a community contribution index (CCI) for organizations and providing reports pertaining to the CCI for one or more organizations is described. The CCI for an organization is calculated based upon monetary donations provided by the organization and the members associated with the organization and the number of volunteer hours provided by the members. The CCI provides a standardized way to measure an organization&#39;s contributions to the community.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/554,951, filed Jul. 20, 2012, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHODFOR GENERATING A COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION INDEX,” which claims priority toU.S. Provisional Application No. 61/509,966, entitled “COMMUNITYCONTRIBUTION INDEX”, filed Jul. 20, 2011, both of which are incorporatedby reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The financial services company Bloomberg gathers and trackssustainability data on companies and offers environmental, social, andgovernance (ESG) analysis. In particular, the social component of theanalysis includes information such as whether a company's communityspending is greater than 1% of pre-tax profit and whether the companyhas a policy to protect the rights of all people with whom it works.However, many organizations, for example, multi-national corporationsprovide philanthropic support of communities through volunteer effortsof its employees, and this type of information is not tracked byBloomberg.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Examples of a system for generating a community contribution index (CCI)are illustrated in the figures. The examples and figures areillustrative rather than limiting.

FIG. 1A illustrates a diagram of an example system where an index servergenerates a CCI for organizations and responds to queries pertaining tothe CCI.

FIG. 1B depicts a block diagram illustrating an example of components inthe index server.

FIG. 1C depicts a block diagram illustrating an example of anorganization database that stores organization information.

FIG. 1D depicts a block diagram illustrating an example of an earningsdatabase that stores earnings information.

FIG. 1E illustrates a diagram of an example system where a host serverprovides tools for organizing groups and facilitating communicationsamong group members.

FIG. 1F depicts a block diagram illustrating an example of components ofthe host server.

FIG. 1G depicts a block diagram illustrating an example of databasesaccessed by the host server.

FIG. 2 shows an example platform home page.

FIG. 3 shows an example of an umbrella organization relative toorganizations situated within the umbrella group.

FIG. 4 shows an example home page for a validated umbrella group.

FIG. 5 shows example sub-group registration form.

FIG. 6 shows a screenshot where example basic sub-group information isentered.

FIG. 7 shows an example screenshot where the head of the sub-group canimport names of individuals to invite for joining the sub-group.

FIG. 8 shows an example screenshot of a page where the head of thesub-group can create the invitation message to be sent to the previouslyselected individuals.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process for registeringa child under 14 years old.

FIG. 10 shows example parental controls settings.

FIG. 11 shows example magnified views of a dock.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process forregistering an adult as a member of the online platform.

FIG. 13 shows an example online registration form.

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process forregistering a child under between 14 and 18 years old.

FIG. 15 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process forregistering a group by an individual.

FIG. 16 shows an example screenshot for a first step in registering agroup by an individual.

FIG. 17 shows an example screenshot for a second step in registering agroup by an individual.

FIG. 18 shows an example screenshot of account information maintained bythe online platform that can be entered and/or edited by the member.

FIG. 19 shows an example screenshot of queries asked by the system whenattempting to connect with a member of the online platform.

FIG. 20 shows an example email sent by the system to a user whorequested a connection with a member of the online platform who agreedto the connection.

FIG. 21 shows an example screenshot of the connections of a member.

FIG. 22 shows an example landing page for a registered group.

FIG. 23 shows an example groups center web page.

FIG. 24 shows an example individuals center web page.

FIG. 25 shows an example supporter page.

FIG. 26 shows an example events center page where upcoming and pastevents are listed.

FIG. 27 shows an example events page for a registered group.

FIG. 28 shows an example screenshot for a first step in making adonation.

FIG. 29 shows three advertising panels that can be used for a gift cardcampaign.

FIG. 30 shows an example volunteer center page.

FIG. 31 shows an example listing with more information about a volunteeropportunity.

FIG. 32 shows an example sponsor center web page.

FIG. 33 shows an example web page with a project that can be sponsored.

FIG. 34 shows an example knowledge center page.

FIG. 35 shows an example of a general landing page that has not beencustomized.

FIG. 36 shows an example of a photos center web page for a registeredindividual.

FIG. 37 shows an example control center web page listing the availabletools for managing a group.

FIG. 38 shows an example control center web page with statisticspertaining to funds and revenue for a group.

FIG. 39 shows an example control center web page with permissions givento people managing a group.

FIG. 40 shows an example screen shot where a user is prompted regardingthe sites he wishes to share content with.

FIG. 41 shows an example screen shot for reporting abuse.

FIG. 42 shows part of an example profile page where the member isposting a message to his activity feed.

FIG. 43 shows part of an example newsfeed on a member's profile pagewith a feedback bar.

FIG. 44 shows an example comment with a feedback bar.

FIG. 45 shows an example dock with unread email messages shown in adropdown format.

FIG. 46 shows an example dock with new notifications shown in a dropdownformat.

FIG. 47 shows an example of a notifications page.

FIG. 48 shows an example dock with new requests shown in a dropdownformat.

FIG. 49 shows an example of a requests web page.

FIG. 50 shows an example volunteer summary page.

FIG. 51 shows an example report card itemizing a member's volunteerhours with various groups.

FIG. 52 shows an example donations listing page.

FIG. 53 shows an example report card itemizing a member's donations tovarious groups.

FIG. 54 shows an example screenshot for querying an individual settingup a tribute page.

FIG. 55 shows an example screenshot used to email information about atribute page.

FIG. 56 shows an example of a tribute page.

FIG. 57 shows a content review webpage.

FIG. 58 shows an example summary of invitations sent by a groupadministrator.

FIG. 59 shows a listing of recipients to whom a particular invitationwas sent.

FIG. 60 shows an example of a stories page for an individual.

FIG. 61 shows an example of a crisis center page for the onlineplatform.

FIG. 62 shows a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the exampleform of a computer system within which a set of instructions, forcausing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein, may be executed.

FIG. 63 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process of calculatingthe CCI for an organization.

FIG. 64 shows an example spreadsheet that illustrates how the CCI iscalculated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A system and method for generating a community contribution index (CCI)for organizations and providing reports pertaining to the CCI for one ormore organizations is described. The CCI for an organization iscalculated based upon or as a function of monetary donations provided bythe organization and the members associated with the organization andthe number of volunteer hours provided by the members. The CCI providesa standardized way to measure an organization's contributions to thecommunity. The CCI can be used to make philanthropic comparisons oforganizations and to track philanthropic trends.

Various aspects and examples of the invention will now be described. Thefollowing description provides specific details for a thoroughunderstanding and enabling description of these examples. One skilled inthe art will understand, however, that the invention may be practicedwithout many of these details. Additionally, some well-known structuresor functions may not be shown or described in detail, so as to avoidunnecessarily obscuring the relevant description.

The terminology used in the description presented below is intended tobe interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it isbeing used in conjunction with a detailed description of certainspecific examples of the technology. Certain terms may even beemphasized below; however, any terminology intended to be interpreted inany restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as suchin this Detailed Description section.

FIG. 1A illustrates a block diagram of a general environment in which anindex server 1500 generates a community contribution index (CCI) fororganizations and responds to queries pertaining to the CCI fororganizations. Example client devices 110A-N with user interfaces111A-N, an index server 1500, an organization database 1520, and anearnings database 1540 are coupled via a network 105, according to oneembodiment. More than one index server 1500 can be coupled to thenetwork 105, however, only one index server is shown in FIG. 1A forclarity.

The client devices 110A-N can be any system and/or device, and/or anycombination of devices/systems that is able to establish a connectionwith another device, a server and/or other systems. The client devices110A-N typically include display or other output functionalities topresent data exchanged between the devices and the index server 1500 toa user. For example, the client devices can be, but are not limited to,a server desktop, a desktop computer, a computer cluster, a mobilecomputing device such as a notebook, a laptop computer, a handheldcomputer, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a PDA, a BlackBerry™ device, aTreo™, and/or an iPhone, etc. In one embodiment, the client devices110A-N are coupled to a network 105. In some embodiments, the clientdevices may be directly connected to the index server 1500.

The network 105, to which the client devices 110A-N and index server1500 are coupled, may be a telephonic network, an open network, such asthe Internet, or a private network, such as an intranet and/or theextranet. For example, the Internet can provide file transfer, remotelog in, email, news, RSS, and other services through any known orconvenient protocol, such as, but is not limited to the TCP/IP protocol,Open System Interconnections (OSI), FTP, UPnP, iSCSI, NSF, ISDN, PDH,RS-232, SDH, SONET, etc.

The network 105 may be any collection of distinct networks operatingwholly or partially in conjunction to provide connectivity to the clientdevices, index server, and may appear as one or more networks to theserviced systems and devices. In one embodiment, communications to andfrom the client devices 110A-N may be achieved by, an open network, suchas the Internet, or a private network, such as an intranet and/or theextranet. In one embodiment, communications may be achieved by a securecommunications protocol, such as secure sockets layer (SSL), ortransport layer security (TLS). In addition, communications can beachieved via one or more wireless networks.

The client devices 110A-N can be coupled to the network (e.g., Internet)via a dial-up connection, a digital subscriber loop (DSL, ADSL), cablemodem, and/or other types of connection. Thus, the client devices 110A-Ncan communicate with remote servers (e.g., web server, index server,mail server, instant messaging server) that provide access to userinterfaces of the World Wide Web via a web browser, for example.

The organization database 1520 and the earnings database 1540 storeinformation utilized by parts of the index server 1500 for operation.The organization database 1520 and the earnings database 1540 can bemanaged by a database management system (DBMS), for example but notlimited to, Oracle, DB2, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server,PostgreSQL, MySQL, FileMaker, etc.

The databases 1520, 1540 can be implemented via object-orientedtechnology and/or via text files, and can be managed by a distributeddatabase management system, an object-oriented database managementsystem (OODBMS) (e.g., ConceptBase, FastDB Main Memory DatabaseManagement System, JDOInstruments, ObjectDB, etc.), an object-relationaldatabase management system (ORDBMS) (e.g., Informix, OpenLink Virtuoso,VMDS, etc.), a file system, and/or any other convenient or knowndatabase management package. An example set of data to be stored in theorganization database 1520 and the earnings database 1540 is furtherillustrated in FIGS. 1C and 1D.

In one embodiment, data stored in the organization database 1520 can becollected from external sources, for example, each organization can berequested to provide the information. However, the information providedby the organization can be incomplete and may not be verifiable.

As an alternative, in one embodiment, a host server 120 that runs anonline platform providing software tools for organizing groups andfacilitating communications among group members can gather the relevantdata to compile the information for storing in the organization database1520. FIG. 1F depicts a block diagram illustrating an example ofcomponents of the host server 120, FIG. 1G depicts a block diagramillustrating an example of databases accessed by the host server 120,and FIG. 1E illustrates an example diagram of an environment where ahost server 120 provides tools for organizing groups and facilitatingcommunications among group members. U.S. application Ser. No.13/553,575, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SOFTWARE TOOLSWITHIN AN ONLINE PLATFORM FOR ORGANIZING GROUPS AND COMMUNICATING WITHGROUP MEMBERS”, filed Jul. 19, 2012, describes the host server 120 inmore detail and is hereby incorporated by reference. The host server 120is also described in more detail below.

The index server 1500 can be any combination of software agents and/orhardware modules for calculating a CCI for an organization or preparinga report related to community contribution indices for particularorganizations. FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating an exemplaryarchitecture of a CCI server or processor 1500. In the illustratedembodiment, the index server 1500 includes a plurality of functionalmodules, each of the functional modules configured to perform a functionof the index server 1500. The various functional modules can beimplemented by using programmable circuitry programmed by softwareand/or firmware, or by using special-purpose hardwired circuitry, or byusing a combination of such embodiments. In some instances, thefunctional modules are implemented as units in a processor of the indexserver.

In the example of FIG. 1B, the index server 1500 includes a networkinterface 1600, a communications module 1620, a CCI calculation module1640, and a report generation module 1680. Additional or fewer modulesmay be included. The index server 1500 may be communicatively coupled tothe organization database 1520 and/or the earnings database 1540 asillustrated in FIG. 1A. In some embodiments, the organization database1520 and/or the earnings database 1540 are partially or wholly internalto the index server 1500.

As used herein, a “module,” or an “engine” includes a general purpose,dedicated or shared processor and, typically, firmware or softwaremodules that are executed by the processor. Depending uponimplementation-specific or other considerations, the module or enginecan be centralized or its functionality distributed. The module orengine can include general or special purpose hardware, firmware, orsoftware embodied in a computer-readable (storage) medium for executionby the processor. As used herein, a computer-readable medium orcomputer-readable storage medium is intended to include all mediums thatare statutory (e.g., in the United States, under 35 U.S.C. 101), and tospecifically exclude all mediums that are non-statutory in nature to theextent that the exclusion is necessary for a claim that includes thecomputer-readable (storage) medium to be valid. Known statutorycomputer-readable mediums include hardware (e.g., registers, randomaccess memory (RAM), non-volatile (NV) storage, to name a few), but mayor may not be limited to hardware.

In the example of FIG. 1B, the network interface 1600 can be one or morenetworking devices that enable the index server 1500 to mediate data ina network with an entity that is external to the host server, throughany known and/or convenient communications protocol supported by thehost and the external entity. The network interface 1600 can include oneor more of a network adaptor card, a wireless network interface card, arouter, an access point, a wireless router, a switch, a multilayerswitch, a protocol converter, a gateway, a bridge, bridge router, a hub,a digital media receiver, and/or a repeater.

One embodiment of the index server 1500 includes the communicationsmodule 1620 which is configured to request and receive information froma user, such as the organizations that a user wishes to compare usingthe CCI. Other information that the communications module 1620 canreceive from a user include, but is not limited to, a request for theinformation that is used to derive the CCI; a request to compare one ormore specified organizations; a request to compare one or more specifiedorganizations with other organizations within the same industry, astate, a country, or a region; and a request for a particularCCI-related report. The communications module 1620 is also configured tosend the requested CCI information to the user.

In one embodiment, the communications module 1620 can request andreceive data for one or more organizations from the organizationdatabase 1520, a server, such as the host server 120, or any othersource that can provide information needed for CCI calculations.

In one embodiment, the index server 1500 periodically and automaticallycalculates CCI values for one or more organizations and sends theupdated CCI values to subscribers. In this situation, the communicationsmodule 1620 periodically requests and receives updated data used forcalculating the CCI for one or more organizations from a source, such asorganization database 1520, the host server 120, or an online database.After updating the CCI values, the communications module 1620 sends theupdated CCI values to requesting users who may be subscribers to a CCIservice provided by the index server 1500.

The host server 120 can automatically track donations and volunteerhours when an organization and its members (e.g. a company and itsemployees), use the online platform for organizing groups andcommunicating with group members that is provided by the host server120. The online platform may allow the company to input informationregarding monetary donations made by the company if the information isaccompanied by substantiating documents. Information pertaining to totalcompany employees can be taken from a company's annual report filings,and companies may be required to add relevant information that is notincluded in the company's annual report, such as the number ofcontractors or freelancers working for the company, and whether theywork full-time or part-time. In one embodiment, the information trackedby the host server 120 can be stored in the organization database 1520.

One embodiment of the index server 1500 includes the CCI calculationmodule 1640 which can process information pertaining to charitabledonations made by an organization and members/employees of theorganization, volunteer hours performed by members of the organization,and the total number of members of the organization to calculate theCCI. CCI values calculated by the CCI calculation module 1640 are storedin the organization database 1540. The CCI calculation module 1640performs the process shown in FIG. 63 and described below.

One embodiment of the index server 1500 includes the report generationmodule 1680. The report generation module 1680 can access the calculatedCCI values stored in the organization database 1540. The reportgeneration module 1680 can use the industry classification codes forcompanies to logically compare CCI values by industry. Alternatively oradditionally, the report generation module 1680 can compare CCI valuesfor companies by geographic region, or using any other criteriaspecified by a user requesting the CCI report.

FIG. 1C depicts a block diagram illustrating an example of anorganization database 1520 that stores organization information,according to one embodiment. The organization information includes datarelated to organizations including, but not limited to, the name of theorganization; address; the industry classification code for theorganization; the total number of employees and whether the number hasbeen verified; the organization's total monetary donations for aspecified time period, such as for a month, a year, or a number ofyears, and whether the donations have been verified; the monetarydonations of the organization's members/employees for a specified timeperiod, and whether the donation amount has been verified; the number ofvolunteer hours provided by the organization's members broken down bycountry and for a specified time period, and whether the information hasbeen verified; and the calculated CCI for the organization. Theorganization information can be periodically updated, for example, monthby month, or year by year, and stored for each time period to analyzetrends.

Further, the organization database 1520 can also maintain data generatedby the index server 1500 that pertain to CCI statistics by region, forexample, in North America or Alameda County in California; by state; bycountry; by industry; etc.

FIG. 1D depicts a block diagram illustrating an example of an earningsdatabase 1540 that stores earnings information, according to oneembodiment. The earnings information includes, but is not limited to, acountry identifier and an average amount that a worker earns for an hourof work.

FIG. 63 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process of calculatinga CCI for an organization and CCI-related reports. At block 6305, thesystem obtains from the organization database 1520 organizationinformation used to calculate an organization's total monetarydonations. The information includes the total amount of donations thatthe organization has donated to charity and philanthropic efforts andthe total amount of donations that members of the organization havedonated. Donations can be made to charitable organizations, communityevents, and other philanthropic causes. In one embodiment, the hostserver 120 verifies the donations made by the organization and themembers of the organization. FIG. 53 shows an example of donations bythe online platform provided by the host server 120.

FIG. 64 shows an example spreadsheet that illustrates how the CCI iscalculated. The spreadsheet includes information for calculating theCCI. Line 1 shows the names of three example organizations, Alpha, Beta,and Gamma, and the CCI calculation values for each of the organizationsare shown in columns 6401, 6402, and 6403, respectively. For example,line 2 shows the total amount of monetary donations contributed by eachorganization, and line 3 shows the total amount of monetary donationscontributed by the members/employees of each organization. Theinformation in lines 2 and 3 are obtained at block 6305.

Then at block 6310, the system calculates the monetary donation totalfor the organization by adding together the total amount of theorganization's donations and the total amount of donations of itsmembers. Thus, for example, lines 2 and 3 in FIG. 64 are added togetherat block 6310, and the result is shown in line 4 of FIG. 64.

At block 6315, the system obtains information needed to calculatevolunteer contributions that can be attributed to an organization, forexample, from the organization database 1520. The information includesthe total number of volunteer hours provided by members/employees of anorganization, with the information broken down by country in which thevolunteer lives and volunteers, if applicable. For example, if acorporation has employees in both the United States and Mexico, theorganization database 1520 should be able to provide separate values forthe total number of volunteer hours performed by employees in the UnitedStates and the total number of volunteer hours performed by employees inMexico. Volunteer hours performed by employees in the United States forthe three example organizations in FIG. 64 are shown in line 5.Volunteer hours performed by members/employees of the organizations inother countries are not accounted for in FIG. 64. In one embodiment, thehost server 120 tracks and verifies the volunteer hours performed bymembers of the organization, for example, as shown in FIG. 51 anddescribed in the accompanying text.

At block 6315, the system also obtains data for the average hourlyearnings rate for the countries in which the organization has employeeswho have contributed volunteer hours, for example, from the earningsdatabase 1540 or another source. This information is shown, for example,in line 6 in FIG. 64.

Then at block 6320, the system calculates the estimated value of thevolunteer time provided by the members of the organization bymultiplying the total number of hours of volunteer time performed bymembers of the organization by the average hourly earnings rate in thecountry in which the volunteer effort took place. Then the product foreach represented country is summed up to obtain the total estimatedvalue of volunteer time provided by the organization's members. Forexample, in FIG. 64 the values in line 5 and line 6 are multipliedtogether in each column to obtain in line 7 the estimated value ofvolunteer hours attributable to each organization.

At block 6325, any applicable weighting functions are applied to themonetary donations and/or the estimated value of contributed volunteertime. In one embodiment, the weighting function can more heavily weightthe estimated value of total volunteer contributions as compared to themonetary donations provided by the organization and its members. Forexample, the estimated value of volunteer contributions can be weighted1.5 times as much as the dollar amount of monetary donations. An exampleweighting of 1.5 times the values in line 7 for the estimated value ofvolunteer hours is shown in line 8 of FIG. 64.

Then at block 6330, the total number of points earned by eachorganization is calculated by adding the total monetary donations andthe weighted estimated value of volunteer time. For example, lines 4 and8 in FIG. 64 are added together, and the sum is shown in line 9.

Next, at block 6335, the data for the number of members associated withor employed by each organization is obtained, for example, from theorganization database 1520. The total number of members associated withthe organizations is shown, for example, in line 10 of FIG. 64.

Then at block 6340, the system calculates the CCI for the organizationby dividing the total number of points earned by an organization(calculated at block 6330) by the number of members associated with theorganization (obtained at block 6335). For example, the value in line 9of FIG. 64 is divided by the value in line 10 to obtain the CCI for eachorganization, as shown in line 11. The calculated CCI is stored in theorganization database 1520.

In one embodiment, the CCI can be calculated by any algorithm or afunction that uses as input the information obtained at blocks 6305,6315, and 6335, namely, total monetary donations contributed by anorganization, total monetary donations contributed by members of theorganization, and total volunteer hours, and total members/employeesassociated with the organization. For example, instead of normalizingthe total number of hours of volunteer time performed by members of theorganization to a monetary value, the monetary donations may benormalized to a time value, or in another example, both the monetarydonations and the number of hours may be normalized to a predefinedunit.

In the example calculations shown in FIG. 64, even though organizationGamma has donated more money than either Alpha or Beta, Gamma's CCI ismuch lower than both Alpha and Beta. Thus Beta and Gamma had a largeroverall contribution to the community. Alpha's CCI is the highest due tothe large number of volunteer hours performed by members/employees ofthe organization. Also, the total number of members/employees associatedwith Alpha is much smaller than that of Beta and Gamma, thus the averagenumber of volunteer hours/member is higher for Alpha than for eitherBeta or Gamma.

Optionally, at block 6345, the system can generate a customized reportwith CCI information as specified by a user. For example, a user couldrequest information on how the CCI for a particular organizationcompares to other organizations in, for example, the same region, state,country, industry, etc. Further, philanthropic trends can also betracked over time.

In one embodiment, the host server 120 can track an industryclassification code for each company or organization, and thisinformation can be used by the index server 1500 to provide comparisonsamong companies and organizations. For example, the index server 1500can compare the average CCI of attorneys in the state of New York to theaverage CCI of attorneys in the state of California, or compare the CCIof competitors within the same industry, such as FedEx Office and DHLExpress, or compare the CCI of companies on a country by country basis.

In one embodiment, the index server 1500 can periodically calculate aCCI for all companies and organizations tracked by the host server 120and store the calculated CCI values in the organization database 1520.The CCI for the companies and organizations can be grouped by one ormore criteria, such as by industry and region. The index server 1500 canalso periodically send out CCI updates to requesting users, such assubscribers to a CCI service.

In one embodiment, at each block where the system obtains informationfrom the organization database 1520, the system checks whether theinformation has been verified. If any of the information has not beenverified, the CCI can still be calculated with the availableinformation, however, the use of the calculated CCI is noted, forexample with an asterisk, in any reports or requests for CCI that theinformation used to obtain the value has not been verified. In oneembodiment, if any of the information in the organization database 1520has not been verified, the system will not calculate a CCI for theorganization to prevent unverified information from impacting the CCIindex.

Because the information used to calculate the CCI can be tracked andverified, and has relevance to all companies, the CCI can be expected tobe of interest to investors and the corporate community.

Host Server

FIG. 1E illustrates a block diagram of a general environment in which anonline platform that provides tools for organizing groups andfacilitating communications among group members can be implemented.Example client devices 110A-N with user interfaces 111A-N, a host server120, and various databases 130A-N are coupled to a network 105. Morethan one host server 120 can be coupled to the network 106. Only onehost server is shown in FIG. 1E for clarity.

The client devices 110A-N can be any system and/or device, and/or anycombination of devices/systems that is able to establish a connectionwith another device, a server and/or other systems. The client devices110A-N typically include display or other output functionalities topresent data exchanged between the devices and the host server 120 to auser. For example, the client devices 110 A-N can be, but are notlimited to, a server desktop, a desktop computer, a computer cluster, amobile computing device such as a notebook, a laptop computer, ahandheld computer, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a PDA, a BlackBerry™device, a Treo™, and/or an iPhone, etc. In one embodiment, the clientdevices 110A-N are coupled to a network 105. In some embodiments, theclient devices may be directly connected to the host server 120.

The host server 120 can be any combination of software agents and/orhardware modules for running the online platform, either individually orin a distributed manner with other host servers 120. The online platformorganizes groups hierarchically using the concept of umbrella groups.The online platform provides a home page that resides at the top of thehierarchy and functions as the overarching umbrella under which allother groups, charities, organizations, companies, and individuals areestablished. All groups that register with the online platform areassociated with one or more umbrella groups that reside below the rootumbrella.

FIG. 2 shows an example platform home page where any of the groupsassociated with the online platform can be accessed. Near the top of thehome page, is a bar 110 with links to web pages that provide informationassociated with registered groups and registered individuals. Below thebar 110 on the home page is an area 115 that can be used to highlight aparticular individual or group. In one embodiment, on the left side ofthe bottom of the home page in the example of FIG. 2, the latest newsfrom groups registered with the online platform is listed in a sortableformat, and shown as a dynamic newsfeed, while on the right side,advertisements from an associated group can be shown as well as alisting of the most successful fundraisers. Essentially, the home pageprovides an index to the latest happenings associated with groups andindividuals associated with the online platform.

Umbrella groups that are situated at the first level beneath the rootumbrella are validated by the system and/or an administrator of thesystem and can be used to categorize other groups. Some examples ofumbrella groups that can be situated at the first level beneath the rootumbrella include animal-related organizations such as the Humane Societyand organizations for veterans. In some embodiments, the first-levelumbrella group can be an existing organization, such as the United Waywhich is a non-profit organization that works with other charitableorganizations to pool efforts in fundraising to serve the community. Insome embodiments, an administrative umbrella group can be formed toorganize other groups focused on similar goals. The first level umbrellagroups are validated by the administrator of the online platform, andsubsequent groups that wish to join under a first level umbrella groupcan be selected and validated by the administrator of the first levelumbrella group. FIG. 3 shows an example of an umbrella organizationrelative to organizations situated under or within the umbrella group.At the top is the first level umbrella group, and five second levelgroups are shown below. Each of the second level groups can each be anumbrella group for other, third level groups, and so on for subsequentlevels of groups.

A group that falls under a higher level umbrella group has the advantageof being associated with marketing initiatives and campaigns spearheadedby the higher level umbrella group. Each higher level umbrella group hasa group home page or landing page that is similar to the home page forthe online platform. FIG. 4 shows an example home page for the UnitedWay of Metropolitan Atlanta. Similar to the online platform's home page,there is a bar 410 near the top of the page that provides access tosub-groups under this umbrella group and sections on the page where thelatest news from any of the organizations that are grouped under theUnited Way of Metropolitan Atlanta as well as information pertaining tothose groups, such as group statistics. The use of the online platform'stools and hierarchical organization of groups are particularly usefulfor highly fragmented charity sectors.

The online platform is suitable for use by any type of group, includingcharitable organizations, religious groups, and political groups. In oneembodiment, to provide a high level of confidence to companies andindividuals that the online platform permits only credible charities toregister with the platform, the services of a reputable third partyvendor, such as Dun & Bradstreet, can be commissioned to certifycharities that apply to register with the online platform. Charities canbe ranked using different criteria. For example, category 5 cancorrespond to the highest rating for a most validated charity, andcategory 4 can correspond to a reputable but unvalidated charity that isreviewed by Charity Navigator, recognized by the government as a501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has a reasonable operational expenseratio, and received good volunteer reviews. In one embodiment, umbrellaorganizations can pay to obtain a review and certification by Dun &Bradstreet, and umbrella groups who do not obtain certification willreceive a lower rating. By becoming validated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofitorganization, individuals who donate money to the organization will knowthat their donations are tax-deductible.

Alternatively or additionally, GuideStar can be commissioned by umbrellaorganizations to monitor its sub-groups on a regular basis to ensurethat the umbrella group is credible.

Further, the online platform's administrators, such as a Board ofDirectors, can engage reputable third parties to conduct annual auditson its own security, finance, and member information confidentiality.The audits can be published to assure clients and donors that the onlineplatform is trustworthy.

The online platform also offers an integrated set of tools fororganizing groups, such as targeting a philanthropic goal or running afundraising campaign with a simple way to attract supporters to helpraise money for charity. Functions and techniques performed by the hostserver 120 are described in detail with further reference to the exampleof FIG. 1F.

The network 105, to which the client devices 110A-N and host server 120are coupled, may be a telephonic network, an open network, such as theInternet, or a private network, such as an intranet and/or the extranet.For example, the Internet can provide file transfer, remote log in,email, news, RSS, and other services through any known or convenientprotocol, such as, but is not limited to the TCP/IP protocol, OpenSystem Interconnections (OSI), FTP, UPnP, iSCSI, NSF, ISDN, PDH, RS-232,SDH, SONET, etc.

The network 105 may be any collection of distinct networks operatingwholly or partially in conjunction to provide connectivity to the clientdevices, index server, and may appear as one or more networks to theserviced systems and devices. In one embodiment, communications to andfrom the client devices 110A-N may be achieved by, an open network, suchas the Internet, or a private network, such as an intranet and/or theextranet. In one embodiment, communications may be achieved by a securecommunications protocol, such as secure sockets layer (SSL), ortransport layer security (TLS). In addition, communications can beachieved via one or more wireless networks.

The client devices 110A-N can be coupled to the network (e.g., Internet)via a dial-up connection, a digital subscriber loop (DSL, ADSL), cablemodem, and/or other types of connection. Thus, the client devices 110A-Ncan communicate with remote servers (e.g., web server, host server, mailserver, instant messaging server) that provide access to user interfacesof the World Wide Web via a web browser, for example.

The databases 130A-N store information utilized by components of thehost server 120 for operating the online platform. The databases 130A-Ncan be managed by a database management system (DBMS), for example butnot limited to, Oracle, DB2, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server,PostgreSQL, MySQL, FileMaker, etc.

The databases 130A-N can be implemented via object-oriented technologyand/or via text files, and can be managed by a distributed databasemanagement system, an object-oriented database management system(OODBMS) (e.g., ConceptBase, FastDB Main Memory Database ManagementSystem, JDOInstruments, ObjectDB, etc.), an object-relational databasemanagement system (ORDBMS) (e.g., Informix, OpenLink Virtuoso, VMDS,etc.), a file system, and/or any other convenient or known databasemanagement package. The databases are described in detail with referenceto the example of FIG. 1G.

FIG. 1F depicts a block diagram illustrating an example of components ofthe host server 120. The host server 120 can include, for example, anetwork interface 151, a registration module 152, a profile module 153,an events module 154, a collaboration module 155, a donation/paymentmodule 156, a content review module 157, an invitation module 158, avolunteer module 159, a sponsor module 160, a knowledge module 161, acontrol center module 162, a feedback module 163, a supporter module164, a marketing module 165, a photo/video module 166, and/or a dockmodule 167. Additional or fewer components or modules can be included inthe host server 120 and each illustrated component.

FIG. 1G depicts a block diagram illustrating an example of databasesaccessed by the host server.

The databases can include, for example, a groups database 181, anindividuals database 182, a supporters database 183, a marketingdatabase 184, a knowledge database 185, a photos/videos database 186, atributes database 187, a donations/payments database 187, an eventdatabase 189, a feedback database 190, a volunteer database 191, and/ora sponsor database 192. Although these databases are identified asseparate databases, in some embodiments, all or some of each of thesedatabase can be combined with other databases and/or separated out intoseparate databases.

The network interface 151 can be a networking module that enables thehost server 120 to mediate data in a network with an entity that isexternal to screen host server 120, through any known and/or convenientcommunications protocol supported by the host and the external entity.The network interface 151 can include one or more of a network adaptorcard, a wireless network interface card (e.g., SMS interface, WiFiinterface, interfaces for various generations of mobile communicationstandards including but not limited to 1G, 2G, 3G, 3.5G, 4G, LTE,etc.,), Bluetooth, a router, an access point, a wireless router, aswitch, a multilayer switch, a protocol converter, a gateway, a bridge,bridge router, a hub, a digital media receiver, and/or a repeater.

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the registration module152 which can request and receive registration information to registergroups and individuals with the online platform.

Registering a Group Under an Existing Umbrella Group

In one embodiment, an umbrella group's administrator can require that agroup seeking to be categorized under the umbrella group register and bevalidated by the umbrella group's administrator prior to being permittedto be associated with the umbrella group. The example of FIG. 4 shows abutton 420 on the home page of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlantaumbrella group that is linked to a sub-group registration form. Anexample sub-group registration form is shown in FIG. 5. In this example,a user desiring to start a sub-group under the United Way ofMetropolitan Atlanta umbrella group enters a desired group name andcontact information. The registration module 152 sends the informationto the administrator of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta umbrellagroup who follows up with the user to determine whether the user'ssub-group should be validated. Criteria that can be used by theadministrator for validation can include goals of the sub-group andwhether the sub-group's goals are compatible with the umbrella group'sgoals.

Once approval has been granted by the administrator of the umbrellagroup, the head or administrator of the sub-group can be provided a linkby the system that requests information about the sub-group. The exampleof FIG. 6 shows a screenshot where basic sub-group information isentered, such as the group name, a web address name, an administrator orhead of the sub-group, and a password. The example of FIG. 7 shows ascreenshot where the head of the sub-group can import names ofindividuals to invite for joining the sub-group. Names can be importedfrom an email address book. The example of FIG. 8 shows a screenshot ofa page where the head of the sub-group can create the invitation messageto be sent to the previously selected individuals. The invitation caninclude a customized headline, written text message, video message orsound file with a greeting message. In one embodiment, informationpertaining to all registered groups is stored in the groups database181.

Group Landing Page

Once a group has been registered, the administrator of the newlyregistered group can immediately set up and customize a landing page forthe group, using the standardized platform provided by the onlineplatform. As shown in the example of FIG. 22, the administrator canenter a logo 2210, pictures 2215, and a group description 2220 fordisplay on the landing page for the group. Other non-limiting examplesof ways that the landing page can be customized include selecting acolor scheme that includes a color for the text and a background color.No technical knowledge is needed for the administrator to establish thecustomized landing page.

In the example of FIG. 22, the sub-group name is The Gateway, and thisgroup has been formed under the umbrella of United Way. The United Waylogo 2230 is automatically placed by the online platform on the homepage of the sub-group when the sub-group is authorized. The umbrellalogo indicates to users viewing The Gateway's webpage that the group isassociated with the umbrella group United Way. In most instances, theumbrella group will be better known than the sub-group. Thus, theumbrella group's logo may serve to lend an aura of authenticity andreliability to the sub-group.

A standard set of tools are available on each group's landing page. Thetoolbar 2240 on the home page provides access to a set of tools. If theuser clicks the ‘Home’ button on the left of the toolbar 2240 fromanywhere within the group's webpages, it will bring the user back to thelanding page of the group.

Clicking on the ‘Group’ button on the toolbar 2240 takes the user to agroups center web page that shows the sub-groups authorized under TheGateway. Thus, if The Gateway is an umbrella group for sub-groups, thosesub-groups will be shown in the groups center, and the activity withinthose sub-groups roll up to The Gateway. The example of FIG. 23 showsgroups center web page that includes a listing of the sub-groups underThe Gateway, categorized under headings such as campaigns, companies,schools, or uncategorized. Each sub-group under The Gateway can have itsown sub-groups. For example, the sub-Group High School HomelessnessProgram has several sub-groups, Lakeside High School, High School Name2,High School name3, and High School Name4. Next to each sub-group andeach of the sub-groups under those sub-groups, is a listing ofinformation associated with the group, such as total donations, numberof volunteer hours, sponsorship, members, supporters, ratings, and linksthat are associated with that particular group. Each of the sub-groupsalso has access to the same tools as the umbrella group.

Clicking on the ‘Individuals’ button on the toolbar 2240 takes the userto an individuals center web page for a group that lists all membersinvolved with the group or sub-groups under that group, where the listedmembers have elected to be listed. The example of FIG. 23 shows alisting of the individuals who are members of The Gateway andcategorized by all individuals, campaigns, and supporters. The centeralso lists information associated with the member, such as donations,volunteer hours, projects and individuals sponsored by the member,number of supporters, number of friends, ratings, links to the member'ssupporter page, tribute page, and/or profile page. The web page can alsoprovide a way to search for individuals associated with the group.

The toolbar 2240 lists other clickable buttons including events,collaborate, donate, volunteer, sponsor, knowledge, photos, and videos.Also, a group's landing page includes a clickable button ‘Become asupporter’ 2250 in FIG. 22. By clicking on this button, anyone canbecome a supporter and create a supporter page on the online platformusing a supporter page template. The functionality of each of thesebuttons will be described below.

Registering a Group by an Individual

FIG. 15 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process forregistering a group by an individual. The individual registering thegroup must be logged in to the online platform, using the person'sregistered username and password, to interact with the registrationmodule 152 to start a group. However, the person does not need to be avalidated member. A registered group can be associated with an umbrellagroup, or it can choose to not be associated with any umbrella group.Groups that choose to be associated with an umbrella group must beapproved by the umbrella group, as discussed above.

The first step in registering a group, as shown in FIG. 16, is for theregistrant to indicate the kind of group that is being registered, forexample, a charity/non-profit, a company, an individual starting his owngroup, or other.

Next, basic information for the group is requested, as shown in FIG. 17,for example. The name of the group and a URL are selected by theindividual. In one embodiment, the URL indicates the overarchingumbrella organization of the online platform. If the individualregistering the group selects a high-profile URL, such as the name of alarge corporation, for example Coca-Cola, the registration module 152will indicate that the URL is reserved for the organization that isassociated with that name. Further, the registrant will also be informedthat he will need to contact an administrator of the online platform toclaim the particular URL that is requested to finalize registration ofthe group. Otherwise, the registrant can select another URL.

The registration module 152 also requests during registration whetherthe group will be a public group or a private group. With a publicgroup, everyone can access the group to see information about the groupand what the group did, and everyone can join the group. With a privategroup, no one can see or search for the group, members can only join byinvitation, and the group does not appear in members' profiles. Duringregistration, a group administrator and a group head are selected. Thegroup administrator can log into the group's account, and the group headmanages the group. Additional administrators can be added later, and thegroup head can also be changed later.

Finally, the group's mission is selected from a list of choices, such asanimal related; arts, culture and humanities; civil rights, socialaction and advocacy; community improvement and capacity building; crimeand legal-related; employment; diseases, disorders and medicaldisciplines; education; environment; food, agriculture and nutrition;foreign affairs and national security; health care; housing and shelter;human services; medical research; mental health and crisis intervention;mutual and membership benefit; philanthropy, volunteerism andgrantmaking foundations; public and societal benefit; public safety,disaster preparedness and relief; recreation and sports; science andtechnology; social science; youth development; or other.

After providing the above information to the registration module 152,the registration module 152 stores the group information in the groupsdatabase 181, and the group is registered. At this point, the groupregistrant can use the online platform and perform activities such asedit the group site, invite group members, adjust account settings.

The Home Page for the Online Platform

When a user of the online platform clicks on the platform logo 112,shown for example in FIG. 2, the user will be taken to the onlineplatform's home page which is the overarching umbrella under which allother groups that register with the online platform fall. Theinformation from the other groups flow up to the home page, for example,members' group membership information, posted content, donations made,volunteer hours provided, etc. FIG. 2 shows an example online platformhome page.

Clicking on the ‘groups’ button on the online platform home page takesthe user to a groups center web page that provides information aboutumbrella groups and sub-groups registered with the online platform, forexample the top groups, e.g., the group that received the most totaldonations or the group that has the largest number of volunteers, thefastest growing groups in members and/or donations, the largest groups,the groups with the most members, the groups that have been searched themost, etc. Similarly, clicking on the ‘individuals’ button on the homepage takes the user to an individuals center page that providesinformation about individuals registered with the online platform, forexample, members with the most contacts, members who have contributedthe most donations and/or volunteer hours, etc. Groups on the groupscenter web page and individuals on the individuals center web page canboth be searched.

Clicking on the ‘events’ button on the home page takes the user to anevents center web page that provides information about events listedwith the online platform by umbrella groups and sub-groups. Individualscan search for any event by country, city, topic, date, etc. The onlineplatform also coordinates groups to enhance their prominence duringspecial events or days, for example, global earth day and AIDS day.Further, the events center page lists information about events, such asthe top events, fastest growing events, largest events, the events withthe most participation, and top searched events.

The online platform home page is the only entity within the onlineplatform that has a clickable ‘crisis center’ button, located, forexample, towards the middle of the toolbar 110 of FIG. 2. When a crisisoccurs anywhere in the world, the registration module 152 makes the mostcredible groups highly visible on the online platform crisis centerpage, as shown, for example, in FIG. 61. Further, the registrationmodule 152 will notify various news agencies that individuals can visitthe online platform's crisis center page to help out the people impactedby the crisis. The crisis center page also lists information aboutcrises, such as the most recent crisis, natural crisis, man-made crisis,ongoing crisis, and top searched crisis.

The registration module 152 can also register individuals for the onlineplatform. Different categories of registration are available including:child under 14 years of age, child between 14 and 18 years of age, andadult.

Registering an Adult as a Member

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process forregistering an adult as a member of the online platform. Theregistration module 152 presents the registering person with the onlineregistration form, an example of which is shown in FIG. 13. For example,the registration module 152 can request that the person provide hisfirst name, last name, an email address to be used as a username forlogging in to the person's account on the online platform, a password,and his birth day. The birth day information is used for ageverification purposes. If the person is under 18, there are differentregistration requirements to ensure that minors accessing the onlineplatform are protected. Children under the age of 14 need parentalconsent to start an account. Individuals between the ages of 14 and 18can set up an account, but they are asked to review terms of use withtheir parents or legal guardian.

Once the registrant submits the information requested, he will beprompted to check his email. The registration module 152 sends an emailto the person at the email address provided to ensure that the email isreal and working. The email prompts the person to finalize hisregistration. In one embodiment, the email includes a final registrationbutton that the person can click on to complete registration. Uponfinalizing registration, the person becomes a member of the onlineplatform, and the member can enter information into his profile, asdescribed below.

When the member logs in to the online platform, the member can gothrough a validation process to become a validated member. The onlineplatform is designed to create a safe environment, where users can trustthat people are who they say claim to be. In one embodiment, a membercan become a validated member by providing a first and last name, avalid credit card number, and billing address information to theregistration module 152. The registration module then charges the creditcard a nominal amount and reimburses the charged amount to the userimmediately. By charging the credit card, the registration module 152 isable to cross reference the registration information provided by themember to validate the member. Validation lasts as long as the creditcard is valid. Alternatively, a member can be validated by providing afirst and last name, the last four digits of his social security member,and answering one or more security questions, such as the name of thestreet that the member grew up on.

Once a member is validated, the member can upload content to the onlineplatform (along with an age appropriateness rating of the content), themember has access to all content posted on the online platform rated upto (R) rating, and there will not be any limitations on joining orfollowing any groups. Non-validated members only have access to(PG)-rated content and may be limited in joining and/or following groupsand connecting with people. The validation process keeps minors safewithin the online platform, and the system only provides age-appropriatecontent to them.

Further, validation of a member allows that member to collect moneythrough the online platform.

Registering a Child Under 14 Years Old

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process for registeringa child under 14 years old and creating a child account on the onlineplatform. To help ensure the child's safety, the child must beregistered by an adult who is a validated member of the online platformand is either the child's parent or legal guardian. The adult controlsthe content the child has access to, which groups the child can join,and who the child can interact with on the online platform. In oneembodiment, the adult can immediately initiate registration of the childif the adult is a validated member of the online platform.

In one embodiment, if the child tries to register himself, he will notbe permitted to if he is under 14 years of age, but he can be given theoption to have an email sent to his parent or legal guardian requestingthat they register him. If the child chooses to do so, he enters thename of his parent or legal guardian. The registration module 152 cansearch the database of registered users to determine if the name is anexisting member of the online platform and also whether the member is avalidated member. If the named adult is not a member, the child isrequested to enter an email address for the adult, and the adult is sentan email on behalf of the child requesting that a child account be setup for him; the adult is also provided information on how to become avalidated member of the online platform as only validated members canregister a child. If the adult is a member, the registration module 152can enter the email address on file and send the email request on behalfof the child.

If the adult is not a validated member, when the adult tries to registerthe child, the adult will be prompted to become validated, as describedabove. If the adult is a validated member, the adult is requested by theregistration module 152 to provide the child's name, the child's emailaddress which will be used as the child's username in the onlineplatform, and a password. The adult must also indicate his relationship(parent or legal guardian) to the child being registered.

During the registration process, the adult also selects parental controlsettings. FIG. 10 shows example parental controls that the registrationmodule 152 requests. For group membership settings, the adult can permitthe child to join only groups with the adult's approval or join anygroup without the adult's approval. For communications settings, thechild can be permitted to communicate only with validate members withingroups approved by the adult, communicate with anyone within groupsapproved by the adult, communicate with only validated members in anygroup, or communicate with anyone in any group. For content viewingsettings, the child can be permitted to view content rated G (generalaudiences), PG (parental guidance suggested), 18 or R (content that maynot be appropriate for audiences younger than 18), or MA (unsuitable foraudiences under 18).

Once parental controls have been established, an email notification issent to the child by the registration module 152 on behalf of the parentthat an account has been created for the child. The email notificationincludes the username and password set up by the adult, and the childcompletes the final registration of the account. In one embodiment, theemail includes a final registration button that the child can click onto complete registration. Upon completion of registration by the child,the parent is informed by email, and the child becomes a member of theonline platform. A child can also be validated using a similar processused to validate an adult member.

In one embodiment, the above description can apply to children under anydesignated age, not just 14 years old.

Registering a Child Between 14 and 18 Ears Old

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process forregistering a child under between 14 and 18 years old and creating achild account on the online platform. In one embodiment, when the childtries to register himself, the child will be asked his birthday, asshown in the example registration form in FIG. 13. If the child isbetween 14 and 18 years old, he is prompted to send the terms andconditions associated with becoming a member of the online platform byemail to his parent or legal guardian and advised to review the termsand conditions together. The registration module 152 requests the firstand last name of the adult and an email address if the adult is not amember of the online platform. The registration module 152 then sendsthe email to the adult with a message that recommends that the adultreview the online platform's terms and conditions with the child. Asanother option, the child can choose to ignore the recommendation. Ineither case, the registration module 152 sends an email to the child atthe email address provided during registration to ensure that the emailis real. The email prompts the child to finalize his registration. Inone embodiment, the email includes a final registration button that thechild can click on to complete registration. Upon finalizingregistration, the child becomes a member of the online platform, and themember can enter information into his profile, as described below.

In one embodiment, the above description can apply to children in anydesignated age range, not just between 14 and 18 years old.

Child Protection Controls

In addition to the above requirements for registering a child under theage of 18, the online platform uses a number of child protectioncontrols and safeguards. For example, children under the age of 18 needparental consent to create a profile and chat on the online platform;administrators of the online platform will automatically scan sites forinappropriate content, such as inappropriate language or inappropriatepictures; users can report abuse on sites throughout the platform, andinappropriate content can be deleted by site administrators; groups candetermine the level of openness of the group and who is permitted tochat with whom, e.g., depending upon whether a member is validated, orthe age of the member; the online platform can ensure groups arefamiliar with useful and free monitoring software, such as Windows LiveFamily Safety Setting or Zephyr; the online platform can enforce strictadherence to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) byinforming parents and legal guardians about how personal information iscollected, used, and disclosed; and professional monitoring services canbe made available to monitor websites, emails, and messaging forinappropriate material, and remove user profiles of known offenders.

User Profiles

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the profile module 153which queries and accepts information about an individual who isregistered with the online platform. FIG. 18 shows an example screenshotof account information maintained by the online platform that can beentered and/or edited by the member. For example, the profile module 153can maintain, but is not limited to, the following information in anindividuals database 182: name; URL; address; email address; password;phone number and country for receiving short message service texts(SMS); a selected security question; and whether the member wants todeactivate his account.

The first time a member visits his URL within the online platform, thelanding page will look like the example of FIG. 35. Actions that themember can take include uploading a profile photo, adding a statementabout himself, finding groups, and posting a message. The message caninclude a link, a photo, and video.

The example of FIG. 42 shows part of a profile page where the member isin the process of posting a message 4210 to his activity feed. Byclicking on the eye icon button 4220, the member is prompted by theprofile module 153 to select where the message should be posted forsharing. For example, the prompt can include selections such as themember's own profile and his followers' profiles; the member'sconnections' profiles; the landing page for groups that the member hasjoined; the umbrella groups for the groups that the member has joined;and third party sites such as social networking sites Facebook,LinkedIn, Twitter, and others. Before the message is posted, the memberalso needs to enter a rating 4230 for his message, as for all contentposted to the online platform. The member's message is subsequentlyreviewed for an appropriate content rating by an administrator of theonline platform or of the group page where the member wishes to post hismessage via the content review module 157.

The member can upload a profile photo by clicking on the ‘upload aprofile picture’ button and selecting a picture file to upload. In oneembodiment, the member has the option to crop the uploaded photo. Themember is also asked to rate his profile picture as, for example, G, PG,18, or MA (mature audiences). Finally, the member must certify that hehas the rights to use the photo before the profile picture will be savedto the individuals database 182.

The member can also upload photos and videos by clicking on the ‘photos’button and ‘videos’ button, respectively. The process is described morebelow.

Account information associated with the member and stored in theindividuals database 182 can include privacy settings that can beedited. Information maintained by the profile module 153 in theindividuals database can include: people permitted to see the member'sposts (including status updates, stories, photos, and videos), althoughprivacy settings of a group to which a story is posted may override themember's privacy settings; people permitted to see the member'sconnections list, where the connections list allows the member toconnect with people based on common friends; people permitted to see themember's bio, where the bio can help connect the member with classmatesand colleagues as well as discover new professional opportunities;people permitted to see the member's current city, where the city canhelp the member get in touch with friends and old neighbors as well asfind volunteer opportunities in the area; people who can see contentthat the members ‘likes’, where ‘likes’ express the member's interestand experiences as well as connect with people who like the same things;people who can see the member's volunteer hours; people who can see themember's donations; people who can see the member's group memberships;people who can see the member's badges; people who can search for themember on the online platform; people who can send the member connectionrequests; people who can send the member messages, where the messagescan help identify a person before adding the person as a connection;people who can send the member invites to join their group; and peoplewho can comment on the member's profile. Some options for the privacysettings include permitting everyone, just the member's connections, ornobody (just the member) to perform an action.

The stored account information provides information on any active childaccounts, the ability to modify settings for an active child account,and the ability to create a new child account.

Further, the account information can include the member's activememberships with the option to click a button to cancel each membership.The information can also include canceled memberships with the option toclick a button to re-join each group.

Payment information, such as credit card information or bank accountwith bank routing number, can also be maintained and edited in theaccount information for a member. By having payment information on file,a donation can be made to any group registered with the online platformwith the click of a button.

The member's account information also include notification options. Forexample, the member can select to be notified by either email or SMSwhen the member successfully makes a donation/payment, successfullyuploads a video/stories, successfully joins a group, gets his volunteerhours confirmed.

The member can select to be notified by either email or SMS whensomeone, for example, comments on one of the member's stories/videos,comments on a story/video in the member's profile, comments on themember's links, comments on the member's profile, comments after themember on someone else's link, comments after the member on someoneelse's profile story, comments after the member on someone else's video,comments on a post that the member was tagged in, confirms a connectionrequest, tags the member in a video, tags one of the member's videos,tags the member in a post, suggests a friend the member might know, hasa birthday coming up, joins the online platform after the member'sinvite.

The member can also select to be notified by either email or SMS when,for example, a group approves the member's request to join the group,changes the name of one of the member's groups, asks to join a group themembers is the administrator for, makes the member group administrator,and changes the privacy setting of one of the member's groups.

The member can select to be notified by either email or SMS when theonline platform has a new feature update or has a group to recommend,and a new celebrity, athlete, or musician joins the online platform, ora disaster occurs.

A member's account can also have an editable follower setting, where themember can allow either everyone or just the member's connections tofollow him. When a first member follows a registered user, the firstperson receives status updates and stories from the registered user. Amember can also ‘un-follow’ a specific user. Once a person isun-followed, that person no longer receives status updates and storiesfrom the member. If the un-followed person is one of the members'connections, the connection status remains unaffected. It is alsopossible to un-follow a group so that the member will no longer receivestatus updates or stories from that group. If the member is a member ofthat group, the group membership remains unaffected.

Account information can also include users or groups that are blocked.Once a user is blocked, that person can no longer be the member'sconnection or interact with the member. Similarly, once a member blocksa group, that group can no longer interact with the member.

The profile module 153 also maintains a bio in the individuals database182 for each member. Example bio information includes basic information,such as sex and city of residence; contact information, such as emailand America Online Instant Messenger (AIM); education and workinformation, such as profession, employer, college, and high school; abiography; interests, and favorite quote. A member can select whether toshare each of the portions of the bio with everyone, just the member'sconnections, or no one.

In one embodiment, the profile module 153 maintains a stories page foreach member, where the member can upload stories, as shown in theexample of FIG. 60. The member can upload photos and/or videos inconjunction with a story and add tags to the story. As with all othercontent uploaded to the online platform, the member must rate thecontent. The content may also undergo review by the administrator of thegroup and/or the administrator of the online platform.

In one embodiment, information pertaining to all registered individualsis stored in the individuals database 182.

Badges

In one embodiment, the profile module 153 awards badges and maintainsbadge information in the individuals database 182 pertaining to badgesthat a member has earned within the online platform. Badges are viewableby other members of the online platform. For example, a validation badgecan be awarded after the platform cross-checks the member's informationwith his credit card information. The validation badge can indicate toother members that the badge holder is who he claims to be. As anotherexample, a first time donor badge can be awarded to a member upon hisfirst donation made on the online platform.

Awards

The online platform can issue awards and hold a ceremony to bestow theawards on a regular basis, for example annually. Non-limiting examplesof awards include the most effective charity, the person who volunteeredthe greatest number of hours for a particular time period, the mostsuccessful supporter, the platform's “I Changed The World Today!” awardfor extraordinary acts of service, etc.

Connections

In one embodiment, the profile module 153 maintains connections for eachmember in the individuals database 182 and supports the ability ofmembers to connect. In one embodiment, a ‘connect with individual’button is provided on each member's profile page. As shown in thescreenshot example FIG. 19, when a user clicks on the button to initiatea connection with a member, the user may be asked how he knows themember, with possible selections including: friend, colleague, partner,classmate, group member, and the user does not know the member. The usercan include a personal note before sending the invitation via theinvitation module 158 to the member. The invited member receives aninvitation email from the user requesting a connection, and the memberis provided with clickable buttons in the email to either accept orignore the invitation. In one embodiment, if the member accepts theinvitation, the user is sent a return email indicating that the user andthe member are now connected. Further, as shown in the example of FIG.20, the email can include information from the member's bio, forexample, some of the member's other connections and some of the member'sgroup memberships.

In one embodiment, the invitation module 158 tracks the status ofinvitations sent by each member or group head or administrator, such aswhether an invitation was accepted, has not yet been accepted, as notdelivered, or was deleted. Then, the member can select invitationsaccording to the status of the invitation. For example, a member canselect all people whose invitations that have not yet been accepted, andre-send the invitations to just those people.

In the member's profile, the profile module 153 maintains a connectionslist for the member in the individuals database 182. For example, asshown in FIG. 21, all of the other members of the online platform towhich the member is connected to are listed with information such aslocation, phone number, number of group memberships, notes/comments, andtags. Tags provided by the online platform, such as friend, colleague,partner, classmate, group member, can be used. The member can alsocreate his own tags for other connected members, such as my buddies, funpeople, work folks, Los Angeles folks. Additionally, there are clickabletabs to add a new connection, send a message to a selected connection,or delete a connection. Connections can also be searched by tags andfiltered. Examples of filters include location, interests, any tag word,animals, children, cancer research, and common friends.

Events

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the events module 154which tracks events listed by groups or organizations. An administratorof a registered group can enter information about an upcoming event, andthe events module 154 stores the event information in an event database189. Information that can be provided and stored in the event database189 and listed in the event center include the name of the event, whereand when the event will take place, who the event is for, the number ofpeople needed, and any other information the event organizer wishes toprovide. Additionally, after the event, people who attended the eventcan rate the event and upload photos/videos from the event to share.

An events center can be accessed for each group by clicking on the‘Events’ button on the toolbar 2240 on the landing page of the group.The example of FIG. 26 shows an example events center page for TheGateway, where upcoming events and past events are listed. If the eventorganizer provides further information, a link is provided for the eventthat provides more information. For example, FIG. 27 shows moreinformation about the event, such as who has signed up to attend, theitems needed for the event, and who has signed up to bring the itemsneeded.

Collaboration

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the collaboration module155 which supports different tools to enable individuals and groups tointeract and collaborate, such as discussion tools, scheduling tools,and polls/voting tools. In one embodiment, the discussion tools allowmembers of a group to have an online discussion; the scheduling toolsallow members of a group to schedule meetings or other events involvingmultiple members; and the polls/voting tools allow a group to survey amember of the group or any user who visits the group's web page on theonline platform.

In an example of how the collaboration tools can be used, one group canagree to let another group send a message to all of its members withoutreleasing email addresses for its members. Essentially, thecollaboration module 155 can act as an escrow agent.

Further, third party application developers can provide other tools forgroups and/or individuals to use.

Marketing Tools

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the marketing module 165which supports advertisement campaigns within the online platform. Inone embodiment, the online platform is directed toward individualsinterested in volunteerism and philanthropy who are registered with theonline platform and use the tools provided by the online platform. Thisgroup of people is an attractive audience segment, and groups such asUnited Way can target marketing campaigns directly at them using theonline platform. For example, United Way can place advertisements on anyor all of the pages of the sub-groups and supporter pages that use thetools offered by the United Way, the umbrella organization.

In one embodiment, the marketing module 165 accepts text, images,photos, and/or videos for advertisements from an advertiser along withtarget audience information and any other information associated withthe ads, such as dates the campaign an advertisement campaign shouldrun. The advertisement then stores the ads and associated information inthe marketing database 184. The marketing module 165 places the ads onthe appropriate pages with the online platform, such as group pages,individual pages, and supporter pages.

Gift Cards

The marketing module 165 also runs a gift card campaign that can be usedby groups or individuals. The objective of the campaign is to makeindividuals aware that they can buy a gift card for their family andfriends, for example, for birthdays, bar mitzvahs, weddings,anniversaries, etc. Individuals or groups can purchase gift cards to bedonated toward a particular charity or a gift card that can be used todonate toward any group associated with the online platform.

In one embodiment, the three advertising panels shown in FIG. 29 can beanimated to repeatedly cycle through the panels, to catch the eye ofparents. The ad in FIG. 29 is directed toward teaching parents thatthere is an alternative to giving a violent video game as a birthdaypresent to their son. A gift card can be purchased for the child that hecan use to donate money towards one or more charities of his choice,thus teaching the child the gift of giving. When a user clicks on thead, he will be prompted by the marketing module 165 to enterinformation, such as the buyer's name and email address, the recipient'sname and email address, and a personalized message. The marketing module165 stores the information in the marketing database 184 and sends anemail to the recipient with information on the gift card donor, theamount of the gift card, the gift card code, and information on how toredeem the gift card.

The online platform offers umbrella organizations the use of anadvertising platform distinct from traditional marketing channels.Properly placed ads targeted at people who have expressed interests inphilanthropy and even more specifically, the particular charity's cause,are likely to have significantly high than average response rates.Moreover, if the ads are created properly, they can have an importantimpact on evolving an individual's sense of charity and help evolvepeoples' mindset toward volunteerism and donations. Umbrella charitieshave an advertising platform that enables them to cement their brandidentity online with the appropriate target audience. Additionally,online ad distribution has a relatively lower cost compared totraditional advertisement channels.

Community-Based Campaigns

In one embodiment, umbrella organizations can conduct community-basedcampaigns using the marketing module 165. For example, the United Way ofMetropolitan Atlanta can conduct an Atlanta-wide community challenge. Toheighten the prominence of this event and make it more fun, the UnitedWay can solicit the involvement of celebrities, athletes, and musicians.These individuals can form groups and compete for points on theirability to successfully meet challenges. Other groups can set up tocompete as well. This type of campaign is an effective way to involveindividuals and groups on an ongoing basis, rather than having contactwith contributors only once a year during a workplace campaign. Alsoonce an individual signs up for a competition, he becomes a member ofthat umbrella organization and will become familiar with the onlinetools and applications. Finally, after the campaign is over, individualswill be accustomed to the functionality and the relationship with theumbrella organization and can spark ideas to start their own group. Thecommunity-based campaign can also be attractive to sponsors. Forexample, a sponsor like Coca-Cola can be integrated into the campaignwhich could result in substantial matching donations from the sponsor.

Donations and Payments

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the donation/paymentmodule 156 which facilitates donations or payments made by users of theonline platform and stores information relating to donations andpayments in a donations/payments database 188. On each group page thereis a clickable button for donating money to the group, for example the‘donate’button 2255 in FIG. 22. An example of the screenshot shown tothe user in the first step of the donation process is shown in FIG. 28.The user is requested to enter the amount of money to be donated to thegroup associated with the group page on which the user clicked the‘donate’ button. The user is also asked whether the donation is aone-time donation or a recurring donation, for example, monthly orannually. There are also fees associated with making a donation so theuser is asked if he wishes to cover the fees for the donation. The feescan include fees associated with processing the method of payment, suchas PayPal or credit card fees. Additionally, fees can be charged by theonline platform to cover supporting the software tools provided by theonline platform to the groups.

In one embodiment, the user is also asked by the donation/payment module156 if he has a gift card code for use toward the donation amount. Next,the user is asked how he would like to pay for the portion of thedonation that is not covered by a gift card, such as using PayPal or acredit card. The user is prompted to provide the relevant informationassociated with the selected method of payment, and then thedonation/payment module 156 summarizes the donation information and alsoasks the user to select if he wants to disclose the donation on hisprofile and the web page of the group donated to, disclose the donationbut not the donation amount, or make the donation anonymously. The donoralso can select the option to share information about the donation onsocial media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Once a donor hasmade a donation, the donor can also be asked whether he wishes to set upa “1-click” option to make donations easier in the future. If so, thedonation/payment module 156 stores the relevant information in thedonations/payments database 188.

When an individual makes a donation to an umbrella organization, thereare several possible ways to distribute the donation. In one embodiment,the donation is divided among the umbrella organization and distributedamong the sub-groups under the umbrella organization, where thedistribution among the sub-groups may or may not be equal. The onlineplatform also receives a fee that may be a percentage of the amountdonated.

In one embodiment, the individual finds the sub-group listed on theumbrella organization's sub-group page and clicks the ‘donate’ button todirectly give to the sub-group. Then the donation goes to the sub-group,but the umbrella organization charges a processing fee because thesub-group receives the donation because it is listed under the umbrellaorganization. The online platform also receives a fee that may be apercentage of the amount donated.

In one embodiment, the individual finds out about the sub-group afterresearching on the umbrella organization site and then decides to donateto the sub-group directly. The umbrella organization may or may notdeserve a processing fee, depending upon the extent to which is helpedthe sub-group get the donation. The online platform also receives a feethat may be a percentage of the amount donated.

In one embodiment, the individual donates directly to the sub-groupwithout being aware of the umbrella organization. In this case, theumbrella organization does not earn a processing fee, but the onlineplatform receives a fee that may be a percentage of the amount donated.

In one embodiment, the individual makes a donation to a professionalfundraiser who is raising money on behalf of the umbrella organization.The donation is divided among the umbrella organization and distributedamong the sub-groups under the umbrella organization, where thedistribution among the sub-groups may or may not be equal. The onlineplatform receives a fee that may be a percentage of the amount donated,and the fundraiser also receives a fee.

In each of these cases, the donation/payment module 156 calculates thefee due to each party and distributes the donation appropriately.

In one embodiment, the online platform can collect membership dues fromindividuals and/or groups.

In one embodiment, a group may prefer not to have banner advertising onits web site and can pay an opt-out fee to the online platform.

In one embodiment, the online platform can levy a fee if a large amountof bandwidth is used by a group and/or its members.

In one embodiment, the online platform can reserve the right to somehigher profile URL (Uniform Resource Locator) properties, e.g.www/OurGroup.Org/Coke. These URL properties can be either leased orpurchased by a customer.

In one embodiment, outside parties and/or fundraisers can set up onlinetools for others and deduct their own processing fee.

Tribute Pages

The donation/payment module 156 also prompts and receives informationfor and establishes tribute pages on the online platform. Tribute pagesare a way of honoring somebody's memory while also encouragingphilanthropy. A tribute page can be created on the online platform witha few steps, beginning by clicking on a ‘create a tribute page’ buttonon a landing page of a group. Initially, the donation/payment module 159requests that the user provide information as to who the tribute pageshould be dedicated to. A screenshot of this step is shown in theexample of FIG. 54. The user can select a category of the entity thatthe page will be dedicated to, for example a deceased person or a pet.The name of the honoree should also be provided. Next, the user is askedwhether he wishes to make a contribution, and if so, how much, whetherthe contribution is a one time donation or a recurring donation, billinginformation, and confidentiality information regarding whether the userwants to publicly disclose the donation or the amount of the donation.

The user will then be prompted to design the tribute page by entering amessage for the tribute page, uploading a photo of the honoree, andproviding a description of the honoree. The user will be able to previewthe tribute page prior to posting the page live on the online platform.

The next step is for the user to tell people about the tribute page byemail. An example of the web page used to prompt the user forinformation, such as the email message and email addresses of people tosend the message to, is shown in FIG. 55.

An example of a tribute page is shown in FIG. 56. The page can includethe profile photos of people who donate to the memory of the honoree,comments from viewers of the tribute page, and a summary of statisticsrelated to donations attributed to the tribute page, for example thetotal amount of money donated, the number of volunteer hours donated,the number of projects sponsored, and the number of individualssponsored. All of the information uploaded to the tribute page is storedin a tributes database 187. Each individual tribute is automaticallyrolled up into the group's Tribute Wall, where all tributes aredisplayed. The Tribute Wall encourages healthy competition.

In one embodiment, tribute pages can also be used for other specialevents, such as birthdays, weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc.

In one embodiment, the donation/payment module 156 stores theinformation received about each donation and/or payment contributedtoward a tribute page in the donations/payments database 188.

Donations Report Card

The toolbar 3510 on the user profile page includes a clickable‘donations’ button. Clicking on this button takes the member to a pagemaintained by the donation/payment module 156 that lists the amount ofthe donations that the member has contributed, which groups thosedonations were given to, and the amount of the donations. The page canlist the donation history of the member, year after year. An exampledonation listing page is shown in FIG. 52. The member can set donationgoals that are tracked on this page. The user can also click on thebutton “generate report card” to get an itemization of the member'sdonations to the various groups and the date of the donations so that noreceipts need to be kept, as shown in the example of FIG. 53. The reportcard is verified by the online platform.

Content Review

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the content review module157 which maintains a content review center that allows administratorsof a group or an administrator of the online platform to review contentsubmitted for posting before it goes live on the online platform. Reviewof submitted content to be posted on the online platform is a safetymeasure for providing an environment where users can safely interactwith validated members. The example of FIG. 57 shows a content reviewwebpage provided by the content review center. A group administrator canaccess the content review center to approve, deny, or put submittedcontent on hold after review. The administrator can also change thesubmitter's rating of submitted content, if the submitter's rating isnot appropriate, and the administrator can optionally send a message tothe submitter regarding the change in rating.

Also, the administrator can modify review settings. Examples of reviewsettings that can be modified include the period of time submittedcontent goes live on the platform after submission, i.e., the amount oftime the administrator is given to review the content prior to beingpublished; how often the administrator receives notifications for newcontent; how often the administrator receives notifications for contentput on hold; how long to keep approved content; how long to keep deniedcontent; how long to keep content on hold; and how long to keep deletedcontent.

Volunteering

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the volunteer module 159which maintains information in the volunteer database 191 related tovolunteering for each group on the online platform.

A group can provide its volunteer needs to the volunteer module 159,which then lists the volunteer needs in the group's volunteer center.Information that can be stored in the volunteer database 191 and listedin the volunteer center include the name of the opportunity, where andwhen the opportunity will be, who the opportunity is for, the numbervolunteers needed, and any other information the group wants to provideabout the volunteer opportunity. Additionally, after volunteering, theindividual can rate and/or review the organization on a number ofdifferent criteria, such as how efficient the organization is.

A volunteer center can be accessed for each group by clicking on the‘volunteer’ button on the toolbar 2240 on the landing page of the group.The example of FIG. 30 shows an example volunteer center page for TheGateway, where volunteer opportunities are listed. Individuals can sortthe volunteer opportunities using different criteria, review detailsabout the opportunity, and apply to volunteer. If the group providesfurther information about the volunteer opportunity, a link is providedfor the event that provides more information. When people visit thevolunteer center, they can also access the reviews. The reviews providedby volunteers are an incentive for each group to be productive andeffective. This information is also useful for individuals to determineif they would like to donate to a particular group. The example of FIG.31 shows a listing with more information about a volunteer opportunitythat includes a clickable button for applying to volunteer.

The toolbar 3510 on the user profile page includes a clickable‘volunteering’ button. Clicking on this button takes the user to a pagemaintained by the volunteer module 159 that lists the volunteer workthat the member has performed, which groups the member has volunteeredwith, and how many hours the member has volunteered with each group. Thepage can list the volunteer history of the member, year after year. Anexample volunteering summary page is shown in FIG. 50. The member canset volunteer goals that are tracked on this page. Then a personassociated with the group that the member volunteers with will validatethat the member has volunteered and the number of hours volunteered withthe group. Validation information for volunteer hours is stored in thevolunteer database 191. Once the volunteer hours are validated, theywill automatically register in the user's profile. The user can alsoclick on the button “generate report card’ to get from the volunteermodule 159 an authenticated verification of the hours volunteered thatcan be printed, as shown in the example of FIG. 51.

Sponsorships

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the sponsor module 160which maintains information in a sponsor database 192 related tosponsorships made via the online platform.

A group can provide information to the sponsor module 160 about anindividual who is working to help the group or a project associated withthe group. The sponsor module 160 then lists the available individualsand projects looking for sponsorship in a sponsor center for the group.Information that can be provided and stored in the sponsor database 192include the name of the individual or project, the location of theindividual or project, and information about the individual or project.Individuals, companies, and foundations can access the sponsor centerfor groups for individuals and projects that are seeking sponsorship.

A sponsor center can be accessed for each group by clicking on the‘sponsor’ button on the toolbar 2240 on the landing page of the group.The example of FIG. 32 shows a sponsor center web page for The Gatewaywhere individuals and projects that can be sponsored are listed alongwith the location of the individual or project and a link to sponsor theindividual or project. Upon clicking the ‘sponsor’ button, moreinformation can be obtained, as shown in the example of FIG. 33 whichhas information about a shuttle bus project that can be sponsored andincludes an online form for entering information to sponsor the project.The link for sponsoring an individual is similar.

Sharing Knowledge

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the knowledge module 161which maintains information in a knowledge database 185, such asdocuments and other types of content, for sharing with others.

A group can provide the documents or other content to the knowledgemodule 161, and the knowledge module 161 then lists the availabledocuments/content in a knowledge center for the group. For example, TheGateway has a very successful High School Homelessness program that itmay want to share for use with other homeless shelters. In anotherexample, the coaches at the YMCA can share lesson plans. Informationdeposited in the knowledge center can be made available to everyone, orlimited to validated members of the group. FIG. 34 shows an exampleknowledge center page for The Gateway. Each document can listinformation such as author, ranking, number of reviews, number of views,date released, last update, number of videos and number of templates. Aclickable button is provided for uploading files to the knowledge centervia the knowledge module 161.

Photos and Videos

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the photo/video module166 which maintains photos and videos uploaded to the online platformand stores them in a photos/videos database 186. A photos center and avideos center can be accessed for each group by clicking on the ‘photos’button and the ‘videos’ button, respectively, on the toolbar 2240 on thelanding page of the group. Anyone with authority can upload photos tothe group for sharing. The head or administrator of the group can decidewho can upload photos and videos. For example, uploading of photos andvideos may be limited to validated group members. In one scenario, avalidated member may wish to post photos, videos, and/or stories fromhis experience volunteering with the group to share with others. Themember will also be able to elect to post his photos, videos, and/orstories on other social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.

Additionally, a photos center and a videos center can be accessed on thelanding page of a member by clicking on the ‘photos’ button 3515 or‘videos’ button 3520 as shown in FIG. 35. The owner of the individuallanding page can upload photos to his photos center page. The photoscenter web page of an individual in FIG. 36 shows a list of thumbnailsof the different available photo galleries, provided the visitor to thephotos center web page meets the privacy settings for viewing thegalleries. The member can upload photos to the photos page by clickingon the ‘upload photos’ button 3630 shown in FIG. 36 to select photosstored on his computer for uploading. Along with uploading photos, themember can name the gallery, set privacy settings for the gallery, andrate the photos. Tags can also be added to each photo. The member canalso delete any of the photo galleries by rolling over the gallerythumbnail and selecting the delete option.

Upon clicking the photo gallery thumbnail of a specific photo gallery onthe photos center web page, the visitor is taken to the photo gallerypage where he can navigate through the photo gallery. If the visitor isnot a member of the online platform or is not logged in, he cannotcomment, ‘like’ a photo, or report abuse, for example, the photo is notproperly rated. However, the visitor can share the page even if he isnot a member or is not logged in to virally spread information from theonline platform. Moreover, if the visitor is not a member or is notlogged in, only photos rated G and PG will be displayed to the visitor.

Control Center

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the control center module162 which maintains information regarding each group in the groupsdatabase 181 and provides tools for managing and administrating a groupin the control center for the group. A control center web page can beaccessed for each group by clicking on the ‘control center’ button onthe toolbar 2240 on the landing page of the group. Informationmaintained by the control center module 162 and accessible at thecontrol center web page includes details on the group profile, members,member and donation statistics, access/viewing controls, etc. Theinformation is used to enable professional management of the group. Anexample of a control center web page is shown in FIG. 37.

In one embodiment, the control center web page includes contactinformation for the group, such as physical address and phone number,and account information, such as bank name, routing number, and accountnumber. The group administrator can edit the information.

In one embodiment, the control center web page includes membershipinformation for the group. Members of the group and each sub-group canbe listed with information such as status (group head, validated, notactivated), the date that a member joined the group, the URL for amember's profile page, and a link to contact information for the member.

In one embodiment, the control center web page includes statisticspertaining to funds and revenue, as shown in the example of FIG. 38. Forexample, total funds broken out into donations and membership dues areplotted for each month. Additionally, the number of donors contributingcertain donation amounts can be plotted. Each of the plots can beselected for different regions, such as west, east, north, and south.Different regions may be used for tracking members of a group, forexample, within a particular swim team at a particular YMCA, individualsfrom different regions or areas can be set up to foster competition.

In one embodiment, the control center web page includes access controlsto determine who in the group has access to which information and whohas the necessary privileges to do what, as shown in the example of FIG.39. Access and permissions can be added and edited. Master controlspermission allows a user with this permission to access all sections ofthe group's site. Other categories include control center access,comments, donation statistics, volunteer statistics, and memberstatistics. Permissions can include ‘read only’ and ‘read and write’.

In one embodiment, the control center module 162 tracks invitations thathave been sent from the online platform by the administrator of a groupand who responded to the invitations. For example, invitations sent by agroup administrator to individuals to join the group can be tracked, asshown in the example of FIG. 58. In this example, six invitations havebeen sent by the administrator on Nov. 4, 2011. The administrator canrequest a listing of recipients to whom a particular invitation wassent, and the control center module 162 can provide the listing alongwith information such as whether the invitation was delivered, whetherthe invitation was accepted by the recipient and if so, the date it wasaccepted, and the sender, as shown in the example of FIG. 59. In oneembodiment, the administrator can select a listing of recipientsaccording to whether the invitation was accepted, not accepted yet, notdelivered, or deleted. For example, the administrator can re-send theinvitation to the recipients who have not yet accepted the invitationand to the recipients to who the invitation was not delivered.

In one embodiment, the control center module 162 also tracks invitationsthat have been sent by members of the online platform, in a similarmanner that invitations tracked by an administrator are tracked.

Feedback from Users

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the feedback module 163which maintains in a feedback database 190 that stores feedback fromusers, such as ‘like’, ‘share’, reporting abuse, and comments forcontent posted on the online platform, such as photos, videos,documents, stories, and messages. All content posted on the onlineplatform have a feedback bar that includes links to ‘like’ ‘share’,report abuse, and provide comments regarding the content. An example ofa feedback bar 4310 is shown for messages posted to a member's profilepage in FIG. 43. A similar feedback bar can be used for content postedto the online platform. The feedback module 163 tracks the number ofpeople who select the ‘like’ button for an uploaded content andindicates this number 4315 next to the ‘like’ button for the content,shown for example in FIG. 43.

Upon clicking on the ‘share’ button, the user is presented with theoption of sharing the content on the user's profile, on sites within theonline platform that the user is a member of, and on sites external tothe online platform that the user can select, for example, Facebook,MySpace, and Twitter. An example of the options presented to the user isshown in FIG. 40.

Upon clicking the ‘report abuse’ button, the user is presented withqueries. For example, if the user is reporting abuse regarding a postedphoto, the user is asked whether the photo is about the user; if thephoto gallery contains inappropriate content and what that inappropriatecontent is, for example, spam or scam, nudity or pornography, graphicviolence, attacks individual or group, hate symbol, and illegal druguse; whether the photo is the user's intellectual property, and whetherthe photo gallery is rated inappropriately and what the rating shouldbe. An example of the options presented to the user regarding a postedphoto shown in FIG. 41.

Upon clicking the ‘comment’ button, for example button 4310 in FIG. 43,a comment field 4320 is shown to the user where the user can enter hiscomment. Similar to other content posted to the online platform, thecomments can also have a feedback bar that may include functions such asthe ‘like’ and ‘report abuse’ button and a field to enter a comment tothe first comment, shown in the example of FIG. 44.

Supporters

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the supporter module 164which queries and accepts information in about an individual who wishesto become a supporter. A supporter page is intended for individuals whofeel strongly about an organization and want to support it withoutsetting up a sub-group. The supporter page provides a quick way for anindividual to tap into his pool of friends for philanthropic purposes.The supporter page can be personalized by the supporter, for example,the supporter can include a statement about why he is a supporter of thegroup and upload relevant videos and photos. The information ismaintained in a supporter web page by the supporter module 164 andstored in the individuals database 182.

An example of a supporter page is shown in FIG. 25, where the supporteris Matt Damon. If Matt Damon publicizes, for example through atelevision or magazine advertisement, that he is a supporter of TheGateway, he can let people know that they can go to his supporter pageat The Gateway to help the organization through him. Then people who goto his supporter page can donate, volunteer, sponsor, and become asupporter, and all of these activities are tracked through Matt Damon'ssupporter page. In one embodiment, statistics of Matt Damon's impact canbe included on the supporter page, for example, total amount ofdonations contributed through the page, total number of volunteer hoursprovided through the page, total number of projects sponsored throughthe page, and number of individuals sponsored through the page. Thesupporter and others can closely monitor the impact that the supporterhas generated, such as dollars donated, volunteered hours, and projectsand people sponsored. This tool can be useful to enable friendlycompetitions between supporters as to who can raise the most money orencourage the largest number of volunteers for a given charity.

Thumbnail images of supporters of the main supporter (for example, MattDamon) can be shown on the supporter page, and comments from people canalso be listed on the page. Additionally, photos and/or videos can beuploaded to the supporter page by supporters and volunteers. The mainsupporter will be able to review the uploaded content and edit or deleteany uploaded content.

The supporter page can also provide a button for the supporter to clickto publish donations, volunteer hours generated or general affiliationwith a cause and/or to recruit others to joining the cause by publishingthe information on a social media networking site, such as Facebook,MySpace, and Twitter. By publishing the information, the supporter canvirally grow the online platform's number of users.

The Dock

One embodiment of the host server 120 includes the dock module 167 whichsupports each member's personalized dock. When a member signs in to theonline platform, a personalized dock appears at the top of the web pageof the online platform that the member accesses. The personalized dockhas useful functionality that the member can access without leaving theweb page that he is viewing. A dock 111 is shown in the example of FIG.2 at the top of the screenshot. Example magnified views of the dock areshown in FIG. 11. When the user is not logged in to the online platform,the dock is quiescent. When a user logs in to the online platform, thedock includes the profile photo of the member on the left and themember's name. Additionally, the dock can include a clickable emailbutton 6110 that shows the number of unread email messages received fromother members within the online platform. Upon clicking the email button6110, the dock shows the messages in a dropdown format so that themember does not leave the web page that he is viewing. An example isshown in FIG. 45. Upon clicking on an email message, the member isprovided with typical email options, for example, replying, replying toall, forwarding, deleting, and printing the message.

The dock can also include a clickable ‘notifications’ button 6130 thatshows the number of new notifications received from within the onlineplatform, such as another member commenting on a message or othercontent that the member posted to the online platform. Upon clicking the‘notifications’ button 6130, the dock shows the notifications in adropdown format. An example is shown in FIG. 46. By clicking on thebutton ‘see all notifications’ in the dropdown list, the user is takento a web page with a listing of notifications that can be ordered bydate, as shown in the example of FIG. 47. Similarly, the dock caninclude a clickable ‘requests’ button 6120 that shows the number of newrequests, such as a connection request or a group membership request, ina dropdown format, as shown in FIG. 48. By clicking on the button ‘seeall requests’ in the dropdown list, the user is taken to a web page witha listing of requests that can be categorized by new requests andignored requests, as shown in the example of FIG. 49.

In one embodiment, the dock can include a clickable ‘account’ button6140 that, upon clicking, shows a dropdown menu of account options thatthe member can select, for example, edit connections, account settings,privacy settings, become a validated member, create a child account,parental controls, and logout.

In one embodiment, by clicking on the dock 111, for example, on or nearthe profile photo, the member is taken to his own landing page or userprofile page on the online platform. As shown in the example of FIG. 35,the landing page includes basic information about the member that otherusers may be interested in knowing, for example, the types of badges themember has earned, the groups the member has joined, the member'sfollowers, who the member is following, the members connections, andpeople the member may know.

From the member's landing page, the member can access the toolbar 3510,shown in the example of FIG. 35. The toolbar 3510 includes clickablebuttons for ‘messages’ which takes the member to a full page that showsthe member's email messages, ‘requests’ which shows a full page with themember's requests from other members and groups of the online platform,and ‘notifications’ which shows a full page with notifications receivedby the member. An example of the requests page is shown in FIG. 49.

Using the Online Platform

All of the software tools of the online platform described above areavailable to any group or organization that registers with the onlineplatform. For example, a company can use the online platform as anumbrella group, and employees can join as members of the company. Thenthe company can automatically track the employees' validatedvolunteering hours and donations. Additionally, when an employee sharesa volunteering story, it can be posted to the company site as well, andthe company can use it for public relations. Further, matchingdonations, commonly provided by companies can be captured using theonline platform tools. Like all groups, the company can have a series ofsub-groups, organized to meet the company's needs.

Schools and students can also use the same online platform. The schoolcan be organized as an umbrella group for sub-groups such as sportsteams, classes, and academic clubs.

Non-profit organizations, like the YMCA, can also make use of the sameonline platform. The umbrella feature operates in the same way asdescribed above, but with an additional function. For example, withinthe YMCA Westchester, if a user clicks the ‘groups’ button on thelanding page, all of the sub-groups that have been set up for differentactivities can be seen. As described above, all of the photos, videos,volunteer needs, etc. of the sub-groups will roll up to the umbrellaorganization. The function of the online platform is not just to raisemoney for philanthropy, it also serves as a utility that enables groupmembers to collaborate to get things done.

Third-Party Support

In one embodiment, the online platform can develop close relationshipswith a few key vendors, such as IBM and Accenture, to provide consultingservices to charities and foundations to help develop businessinitiatives that use the software tools provided by the online platform.Alternatively or additionally, the third-party vendors can performsystem integration work requested by clients. Thus, the third-partyvendors become distributors for applications associated with the onlineplatform.

Summary

The online platform and its tools are designed to help causes involvemembers, grow supporters, and conduct marketing campaigns. The securityand confidentiality of member information can be guaranteed by a paymentpartner and audited by a major accounting firm. Further, the onlineplatform provides a safe environment for people to interact with eachother, and members can choose to have their identities validated by theplatform.

Machine System

FIG. 62 shows a diagrammatic representation of a machine 6200 in theexample form of a computer system within which a set of instructions,for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein, may be executed

In alternative embodiments, the machine operates as a standalone deviceor may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networkeddeployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or aclient machine in a client-server network environment, or as a peermachine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment.

The machine may be a server computer, a client computer, a personalcomputer (PC), a user device, a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a set-topbox (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, aniPhone, an iPad, a Blackberry, a processor, a telephone, a webappliance, a network router, switch or bridge, a console, a hand-heldconsole, a (hand-held) gaming device, a music player, any portable,mobile, hand-held device, or any machine capable of executing a set ofinstructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be takenby that machine.

While the machine-readable medium or machine-readable storage medium isshown in an exemplary embodiment to be a single medium, the term“machine-readable medium” and “machine-readable storage medium” shouldbe taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., acentralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches andservers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term“machine-readable medium” and “machine-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encodingor carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and thatcause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of thepresently disclosed technique and innovation.

In general, the routines executed to implement the embodiments of thedisclosure, may be implemented as part of an operating system or aspecific application, component, program, object, module or sequence ofinstructions referred to as “computer programs.” The computer programstypically comprise one or more instructions set at various times invarious memory and storage devices in a computer, and that, when readand executed by one or more processing units or processors in acomputer, cause the computer to perform operations to execute elementsinvolving the various aspects of the disclosure.

Moreover, while embodiments have been described in the context of fullyfunctioning computers and computer systems, those skilled in the artwill appreciate that the various embodiments are capable of beingdistributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that thedisclosure applies equally regardless of the particular type of machineor computer-readable media used to actually effect the distribution.

Further examples of machine-readable storage media, machine-readablemedia, or computer-readable (storage) media include, but are not limitedto, recordable type media such as volatile and non-volatile memorydevices, floppy and other removable disks, hard disk drives, opticaldisks (e.g., Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD ROMS), Digital VersatileDisks, (DVDs), etc.), among others, and transmission type media such asdigital and analog communication links.

The network interface device enables the machine 6200 to mediate data ina network with an entity that is external to the host server, throughany known and/or convenient communications protocol supported by thehost and the external entity. The network interface device can includeone or more of a network adaptor card, a wireless network interfacecard, a router, an access point, a wireless router, a switch, amultilayer switch, a protocol converter, a gateway, a bridge, bridgerouter, a hub, a digital media receiver, and/or a repeater.

The network interface device can include a firewall which can, in someembodiments, govern and/or manage permission to access/proxy data in acomputer network, and track varying levels of trust between differentmachines and/or applications. The firewall can be any number of moduleshaving any combination of hardware and/or software components able toenforce a predetermined set of access rights between a particular set ofmachines and applications, machines and machines, and/or applicationsand applications, for example, to regulate the flow of traffic andresource sharing between these varying entities. The firewall mayadditionally manage and/or have access to an access control list whichdetails permissions including for example, the access and operationrights of an object by an individual, a machine, and/or an application,and the circumstances under which the permission rights stand.

Other network security functions can be performed or included in thefunctions of the firewall, can be, for example, but are not limited to,intrusion-prevention, intrusion detection, next-generation firewall,personal firewall, etc. without deviating from the novel art of thisdisclosure.

CONCLUSION

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense (i.e., to say, in thesense of “including, but not limited to”), as opposed to an exclusive orexhaustive sense. As used herein, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” orany variant thereof means any connection or coupling, either direct orindirect, between two or more elements. Such a coupling or connectionbetween the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof.Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similarimport, when used in this application, refer to this application as awhole and not to any particular portions of this application. Where thecontext permits, words in the above Detailed Description using thesingular or plural number may also include the plural or singular numberrespectively. The word “or,” in reference to a list of two or moreitems, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any ofthe items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combinationof the items in the list.

The above Detailed Description of examples of the invention is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formdisclosed above. While specific examples for the invention are describedabove for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications arepossible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in therelevant art will recognize. While processes or blocks are presented ina given order in this application, alternative implementations mayperform routines having steps performed in a different order, or employsystems having blocks in a different order. Some processes or blocks maybe deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and/or modified toprovide alternative or subcombinations. Also, while processes or blocksare at times shown as being performed in series, these processes orblocks may instead be performed or implemented in parallel, or may beperformed at different times. Further any specific numbers noted hereinare only examples. It is understood that alternative implementations mayemploy differing values or ranges.

The various illustrations and teachings provided herein can also beapplied to systems other than the system described above. The elementsand acts of the various examples described above can be combined toprovide further implementations of the invention.

Any patents and applications and other references noted above, includingany that may be listed in accompanying filing papers, are incorporatedherein by reference. Aspects of the invention can be modified, ifnecessary, to employ the systems, functions, and concepts included insuch references to provide further implementations of the invention.

These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of theabove Detailed Description. While the above description describescertain examples of the invention, and describes the best modecontemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, theinvention can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may varyconsiderably in its specific implementation, while still beingencompassed by the invention disclosed herein. As noted above,particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspectsof the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology isbeing redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics,features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology isassociated. In general, the terms used in the following claims shouldnot be construed to limit the invention to the specific examplesdisclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Descriptionsection explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope ofthe invention encompasses not only the disclosed examples, but also allequivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention under theclaims.

While certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certainclaim forms, the applicant contemplates the various aspects of theinvention in any number of claim forms. For example, while only oneaspect of the invention is recited as a means-plus-function claim under35 U.S.C. §112, sixth paragraph, other aspects may likewise be embodiedas a means-plus-function claim, or in other forms, such as beingembodied in a computer-readable medium. (Any claims intended to betreated under 35 U.S.C. §112, ¶6 will begin with the words “means for.”)Accordingly, the applicant reserves the right to add additional claimsafter filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms forother aspects of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:receiving, at an index server of a computer system, via a user interfaceof a client device, a request to periodically generate a report having astandardized index of community contribution for each of a plurality oforganizations; periodically retrieving, by the index server and inresponse to the received request, a set of data for the organizationsfrom a database of the computer system, wherein the set of data includesa first monetary donation made by an organization of the organizations,a second total monetary donation made by members of the organization, anumber of volunteer hours provided by the members of the organizationand a number of members of the organization; periodically determining,by the index server, the standardized index for each of theorganizations, the determining including determining an estimated valueof volunteer hours of the organization as a product of (i) the number ofvolunteer hours performed by the members of the organization and (ii)average hourly earnings, adjusting the estimated value of volunteerhours based on a weighted function compared to the first monetarydonation and the second total monetary donation, determining anorganization donation value as a sum of (a) the first monetary donationand (b) the second total monetary donation, determining an organizationpoint value as a sum of (a) the organization donation value and (b) theestimated value of volunteer hours, and determining the standardizedindex by dividing (a) the organization point value by (b) the number ofmembers of the organization; and periodically generating, by the indexserver, the report having the standardized index for each of theorganizations.
 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 furthercomprising: periodically sending, by the index server, the report to oneor more users requesting the report.
 3. The computer-implemented methodof claim 1, wherein generating the report includes generating the reportbased on a user defined parameter.
 4. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 3, wherein the user defined parameter includes at least one of (a)an industry of the organizations or (b) a geographical region of theorganizations.
 5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, whereindetermining an organization point value as a sum of (a) the organizationdonation value and (b) the estimated value of volunteer hours includesat least one of (i) determining each of the organization donation valueand the estimated value of volunteer hours as a monetary value, (ii)determining each of the organization donation value and the estimatedvalue of volunteer hours as a time value, or (iii) determining each ofthe organization donation value and the estimated value of volunteerhours as a value of a predefined unit.
 6. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 1, wherein determining the estimated value of volunteerhours includes obtaining data on average hourly earnings for specificcountries, wherein the number of volunteer hours provided by members ofeach of the organizations is specified by country, and the standardizedindex is further based on the average hourly earnings for specificcountries.
 7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein theretrieved set of data for each of the organizations is verified.
 8. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the retrieved set ofdata for a particular organization is not verified, and wherein thestandardized index of the particular organization in the generatedreport is noted to be determined using unverified data.
 9. A system forgenerating community contribution indices, the system comprising: aprocessor; and a memory configured to store a set of instructions,which, when executed by the processor causes a communications module toperiodically retrieve data for one or more organizations from a databasein the system, wherein the data includes a first monetary donation madeby each of the one or more organizations, a second total monetarydonation made by members of each of the one or more organizations, anumber of volunteer hours provided by the members of each of the one ormore organizations, and a number of members of each of the one or moreorganizations, an index server to periodically generate a report havinga standardized index for community contribution of each of the one ormore organizations by determining an estimated value of volunteer hoursof the organization as a product of (i) the number of volunteer hoursperformed by the members of the organization and (ii) average hourlyearnings, adjusting the estimated value of volunteer hours based on aweighted function compared to the first monetary donation and the secondmonetary donation, determining an organization donation value as a sumof (a) the first monetary donation and (b) the second total monetarydonation, determining an organization point value as a sum of (a) theorganization donation value and (b) the estimated value of volunteerhours, and determining the standardized index by dividing (a) theorganization point value by (b) the number of members of theorganization, and the communications module to periodically send thereport having the standardized index of each of the one or moreorganizations to one or more users requesting the report.
 10. The systemof claim 9, wherein the report is customized based on a user definedparameter.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the user definedparameter includes at least one of (a) an industry of the organizationsor (b) a geographical region of the organizations.
 12. The system ofclaim 9, wherein determining an organization point value as a sum of (a)the organization donation value and (b) the estimated value of volunteerhours includes at least one of (i) determining each of the organizationdonation value and the estimated value of volunteer hours as a monetaryvalue, (ii) determining each of the organization donation value and theestimated value of volunteer hours as a time value, or (iii) determiningeach of the organization donation value and the estimated value ofvolunteer hours as a value of a predefined unit.
 13. The system of claim12, wherein the communications module further obtains data on averagehourly earnings for specific countries, wherein the number of volunteerhours provided by members of the organization is specified by country,and the standardized index is further based on the average hourlyearnings for specific countries.
 14. The system of claim 9, wherein eachof the one or more users is a subscriber to a service that providesperiodic updates to determined standardized indices for organizations.